The Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves have split the first two games of their three-game series. After a bench-clearing brawl in the second game, will tensions flare in the finale?
The Los Angeles Angels dropped the second of three games against the Atlanta Braves 7-2 on Tuesday, with tensions flaring in a big way during the fifth inning.
Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler opened the proceedings with a two-run home run that traveled 366 feet to left field and brought center fielder Mike Trout in to score in his return to the lineup after being hit by a pitch on his hand.
It was all Braves from that point on. Atlanta cut the deficit to one run on an Eli White RBI double in the second inning before three-run fourth inning saw Austin Riley, White and Jonah Heim pick up an RBI each. Ozzie Albies hit a 379-foot home run to right center in the eighth to put the Braves up 5-2, followed by a Drake Baldwin RBI single and a Matt Olson double play that scored Ronald Acuna Jr. for the final runs of the game in the ninth.
Soler’s homer was the only offense the Angels produced in this one, but it certainly wasn’t his biggest swing of the game.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Braves right-handed starter Reynaldo Lopez missed up and in with a fastball that went to the backstop. Heim threw the ball to second base to try to nab the runner advancing, but Soler never looked away from Lopez. Lopez felt his 1,000-yard stare but stayed put on the mound – until Soler started approaching him.
Lopez invited Soler to meet him and he did just that. Soler charged the mound and the two came to blows as both dugouts cleared. Both were ejected and Lopez’s final line was 4.2 innings, three hits, two runs (unearned), two walks and seven strikeouts.
Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi had another tough outing and took the loss after throwing five innings and allowing four runs on six hits, one walk and striking out eight.
The pitching matchup for the series finale will be Braves righty Grant Holmes against Angels lefty Reid Detmers.
Holmes has been solid for Atlanta through two starts despite being 0-1; he took the loss against the Kansas City Royals after throwing five innings and allowing three runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts but bounced back with six scoreless one-hit innings while walking three and striking out four more against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will face the following lineup:
1. Zach Neto (SS)
2. Trout (CF)
3. Nolan Schanuel (1B)
4. Soler (RF)
5. Yoan Moncada (3B)
6. Jo Adell (DH)
7. Josh Lowe (LF)
8. Logan O’Hoppe (C)
9. Oswald Peraza (2B)
Detmers has had a similar start to the season, earning a no-decision in his first start after throwing 4.2 innings and allowing three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts against the Houston Astros followed by 6.2 shutout innings with three hits, four walks and four punchouts against the Seattle Mariners. He will take on this Braves lineup:
1. Acuna (RF)
2. Baldwin (DH)
3. Albies (2B)
4. Olson (1B)
5. Riley (3B)
6. Mauricio Dubon (SS)
7. Mike Yastrzemski (LF)
8. Heim (C)
9. Michael Harris II (CF)
Dubon is 6-for-11 (.545 BA) with a home run and two RBI in his career against Detmers while everyone except Schanuel, who is 1-for-3 (.333 BA), is 0-for against Holmes in limited at-bats.
First pitch is at 1:07 p.m. PST on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.
UPDATE: Major League Baseball has suspended Lopez and Soler seven games apiece for roles in Tuesday's brawl.